Getting BBC 1 & 2 in South Africa using Freesat??

[Schlammarama]

My dad lives in South Africa where he has got Satellite TV with all the normal channels available though DSTV. He gets some sky channels but not BBC1, 2, 3 etc. He is an absolute snooker fanatic so every year I have to record on DVD, every minute of the snooker which is on BBC1 and BBC2 and then Fed Ex to him.This is a pain and also means that he never sees the matches live. Now that free sat is readily available, then theoretically would it be possible to get a UK sky box and free sat card and then get a dish put up, would he get our freesat? Obviously freeview is out, but to me free sat should work as the satellites are thousands of miles away anyway so surely it does not matter where you are. The only thing is does anyone know if the sky satellites are polar orbiting or geo stationary. Thanks

 

[Chris Muriel]

The satellites are geostationary but the Astra 28 degrees satellite used by $ky (owned by SES) have a footprint (coverage area) that will not extend to SA.

See http://www.lyngsat.com/28east.html for the footprint - click on the 2D beam in the "Beam" column.

Chris Muriel, Manchester.

 

[Schlammarama]

Thanks Chris. So is the final answer that it is impossible full stop, or is there another way? Regards

 

[Chris Muriel]

No way - unless you both have uncapped broadband ; then you could record it , and send it to him via FTP
I sometimes send large files, usually MPEG transport streams (sometimes the complete multiplex) , to a USA FTP server for a friend for technical purposes - it's for the author of TSReader.

Chris Muriel, Manchester.

 

[decbouk]

You can by using a proxy in your browser. Use TVCatchup - Never Miss A Show Again.
Usually you would be able to use this website abroad as it only for the UK, but using a UK proxy this tricks it to thinking your accessing in the UK.

Proxys are either paid or free... obviously the paid ones are faster and permanent, but the free ones work all the same, you just might have to find a new one every now and again.

I live in Kenya now, and this is what I use. Works a treat.

I know this thread is a tad old lol, but this can be a really frustrating problem so thought Id post anyway, that is if you havent already worked this one out!

Cheers!

 

[Chris Muriel]

Wow! 7 year old thread now updated.
These catchup TV servcies didn't exist when the thread was previously active.
Incidentally, about 10 years ago I came across someone in Kenya receiving Astra 19.2º directly; their "dish aerial" was absolutely huge - a crater dug into the ground , i.e. a parabolic hole lined with metal. I believe it was some tens of metres diameter! Not sure whether this is still in service though.

 

[decbouk]

Yeah! Thought I'd suggest it as I know how frustrating it can be when you cant get eastenders in Africa .
Since we are on the subject, would you happen to know any other means of getting the channels? As the internet way is ok but can sometimes be a pain with the buffering as Kenyan internet fluctuates a lot.

Btw that dish sounds epic, but that is some dedication lol. Not sure if id sacrafise my garden to look at the box, prefer to look out the window!

 

[decbouk]

Hahaa.. ive just realised I was 15 at the beginning of these threads... time flys!!!

 

[Delvey]

Yeah! Thought I'd suggest it as I know how frustrating it can be when you cant get eastenders in Africa .
Since we are on the subject, would you happen to know any other means of getting the channels? As the internet way is ok but can sometimes be a pain with the buffering as Kenyan internet fluctuates a lot.

Btw that dish sounds epic, but that is some dedication lol. Not sure if id sacrafise my garden to look at the box, prefer to look out the window!

Not in kenya unfortunately. Not unless any channels in east Africa show eastenders

 

[MartinPickering]

Yeah! Thought I'd suggest it as I know how frustrating it can be when you cant get eastenders in Africa .
Since we are on the subject, would you happen to know any other means of getting the channels? As the internet way is ok but can sometimes be a pain with the buffering as Kenyan internet fluctuates a lot.

Yes, "Get iPlayer Automator" software can download ITV/BBC (and now, I think CH4) programmes. It doesn't matter if Internet is intermittent because you watch when download is complete.

 

[cyprusstudio]

On Fillnon you can, but as the thread is 7 years old
Filmon.

 

[decbouk]

Ok ill check it out, cheers guys! In kenya they do have DSTV which is like Sky and you get a lot of bbc channels, but you still dont get BBC1 and 2 and stuff like that. There has to be a way!!!

 

[Cliff]

Ok ill check it out, cheers guys! In kenya they do have DSTV which is like Sky and you get a lot of bbc channels, but you still dont get BBC1 and 2 and stuff like that. There has to be a way!!!

Anyway, Eastenders is on BBC Entertainment (DSTV). After 7 years not sure if snooker is still on though